The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced Monday that it has declared Centre and Lycoming counties a disaster area in the wake of October 21-22 flooding, allowing affected residents and businesses to apply for low-interest disaster recovery loans.
Gov. Tom Wolf made the request last week to the SBA for a disaster declaration. He also he made a request from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to be eligible for recovery funding for Bradford, Centre, Lycoming and Sullivan counties. The FEMA declaration requires approval from the President. The overall estimated combined damages in the counties is $33.2 million.
In addition to Centre and Lycoming counties, the SBA declaration also covers adjacent counties of Blair, Bradford, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Sullivan Tioga, and Union.
“After my trip there right after the flooding, I understood that the devastation in North Central Pennsylvania is more significant and wide-spread than we have seen recently in the commonwealth,” Wolf said in a statement. “These loans will help these areas rebuild and I thank all the state and local officials who worked so hard to make sure they would be available.”
SBA representatives will be at the Disaster Loan Outreach Centers to issue loan applications and answer questions. In Centre County, the outreach center will be located at the Office of Emergency Services in the Willowbank Building, 420 Holmes Street, Bellefonte on the following days and hours.
Opens: Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 10 a.m.
Hours: Weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Closed: Sunday, Dec. 4
Closing: Thursday, Dec. 8 at 3 p.m.
Businesses and nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, equipment and inventory and other assets. Low interest loans of up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damage or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans of up to $40,000 for damaged or destroyed personal property.
Loan amounts, interest rates and terms are set by the SBA and are based on an applicant’s financial condition. Individuals and businesses that cannot visit the outreach center in person can call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired), or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Loan applications also can be downloaded at www.sba.gov/disaster.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Jan. 17, 2017. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Aug. 18, 2017.
In Centre County, the Bald Eagle Valley, including Milesburg and Howard, was most significantly affected by the flooding after receiving up to 10 inches of rain in a two-hour period, causing Spring Creek to overflow its banks. More than 400 homes and businesses suffered damage, along with infrastructure and utilities. Search and rescue operations were undertaken and a shelter was opened at Bald Eagle Area High School. Centre County declared a disaster emergency in the wake of the flooding.
“The SBA is strongly committed to providing the people of Pennsylvania with the most effective and customer-focused response possible to assist businesses of all sizes, homeowners and renters with federal disaster loans,” SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet said in a statement. “Getting our businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority at SBA.”
A disaster declaration through FEMA, if approved, would provide funding to state, local and county governments and eligible non-profits in affected counties. Funds will reimburse costs of response and recovery, such as personnel overtime, damaged infrastructure, search and rescue operations and operating shelters. The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency tracked those costs.
